Snapped wheel studs

bmhenry · Jan 16, 2019

Reaching out to the community here... 17 Power Wagon - no performance mods- pulled the truck into the barn and noticed a lug nut missing. Upon further inspection I noticed that the stud was snapped off. Checked the torque on all the others. Another stud snapped at the direct opposite location of the initial. All other 6 were torqued to 140ft lbs. This was on the front driver side.

Proceeded to check all others.. Front passenger side 1 snapped while checking its torque and another felt "squishy" when checking it.. So I consider that 2 on the front passenger.

Both rears check out ok - all at 140.

All tire rotations completed at the dealer with oil changes at every 8K miles - due for another change shortly and tire rotation.

After market wheels and tires - KMC Wheels, 37 Nittio Ridge grapplers

Run the nittos in the winter and stock duratracks on stock wheels in the summer.

Thoughts and path forward on as to why this happened. Truck has 35K miles so just under warranty. Would you suspect a fight with the dealership about covering under warranty?

Main question.. Why would this happen and how to prevent further. Anyone else experience this?

Thanks for the input guys..

olyelr · Jan 16, 2019

I have read about many instances where people have had issues with broken studs. Not just a power wagon thing either, the regular heavy dutys have the issue too.

I have never really heard exactly what is the root cause.

37” nittos for the winter, stockers for the summer? :hmm:

crazy jerry · Jan 17, 2019

away from my service manual right now but i thought torq was only 120lb ? either way, i would do tire rotations yourself. you dont know what the pimple face kid at the dealer may have done to the lug nuts. if you insist some one else does the rotation then you have to accept any concequince of that decision

mboymopar · Jan 17, 2019

Wheel studs are the hardest stud to get awarded a contract with any OEM.
When they start snapping your dealer should know.

Grand Mesa · Jan 17, 2019

Theory...Cross threading of the lug nuts during the initial hand installation due to the mechanic being in a hurry. Then they were snugged up with an impact wrench at a lower torque setting than full against the wheel, and finally hand torqued to the OEM settings with a torque wrench.

When I purchased my used 2016 Power Wagon I found one of the lug nuts was quite difficult to hand thread onto the studs. Couldn't even get it threaded by hand against the wheel, but with an impact wrench it would be easily installed. Quickly over looked with an impact wrench and in a hurry. I replaced the lug nut.

The torque settings as I recall are 135 ft lbs. Discount Tire lists them as 130. 140 is in the ballpark.

Make certain that the OEM lug nuts are recommended for the aftermarket wheels.

hoe... · Jan 17, 2019

Make sure the copper washers on the studs have been removed.

They are there to hold the hub on during the manufacturing process and serve no purpose afterwards. The stock rims have an indent to compensate. Aftermarket wheels don't.

They are very thin, but will prevent the wheel from seating properly and will put all the load on the studs, not the hub as deigned.

Sent from my CLT-L29 using Tapatalk

olyelr · Jan 17, 2019

Grand Mesa said:
Theory...Cross threading of the lug nuts during the initial hand installation due to the mechanic being in a hurry. Then they were snugged up with an impact wrench at a lower torque setting than full against the wheel, and finally hand torqued to the OEM settings with a torque wrench.

When I purchased my used 2016 Power Wagon I found one of the lug nuts was quite difficult to hand thread onto the studs. Couldn't even get it threaded by hand against the wheel, but with an impact wrench it would be easily installed. Quickly over looked with an impact wrench and in a hurry. I replaced the lug nut.

The torque settings as I recall are 135 ft lbs. Discount Tire lists them as 130. 140 is in the ballpark.

Make certain that the OEM lug nuts are recommended for the aftermarket wheels.

I have one cross threaded stud on my ‘16 too. Came that way from the factory. I am the only one who has ever taken a wheel of it, and noticed it when I was removing them for the first rotation. I do everything by hand.

Grand Mesa · Jan 17, 2019

olyelr said:
I have one cross threaded stud on my ‘16 too. Came that way from the factory. I am the only one who has ever taken a wheel of it, and noticed it when I was removing them for the first rotation. I do everything by hand.

A NASCAR tire change team (of which some busy tire shops dream to be) can do a single tire and 5 lug nut wheel change in 5.46 seconds. Doing everything by hand on your 8 lug Power Wagon wheels probably takes a tad bit longer.

olyelr · Jan 17, 2019

Grand Mesa said:
A NASCAR tire change team (of which some busy tire shops dream to be) can do a single tire and 5 lug nut wheel change in 5.46 seconds. Doing everything by hand on your 8 lug Power Wagon wheels probably takes a tad bit longer.

Yep.... just a tad lol

turkeybird56 · Jan 17, 2019

When I take MY 19 to Dealer for Service, which includes $18.00 oil changes (I have them put in full synthetic which coste me a bit more) and tire rotation. I make sure they do the rotation properly and I have had a 1 - 1 talk with SA. They were made at MY insistence to Torque studs with Torque wrench at 130 ft lbs, no BS impact settings. Just to prove a point, I also carry a torque wrench in truck with 22 MM socket and I check torque before I drive away. They learned, but I have a decent dealership/service department,.....

bmhenry · Jan 18, 2019

hoe... said:
Make sure the copper washers on the studs have been removed.

They are there to hold the hub on during the manufacturing process and serve no purpose afterwards. The stock rims have an indent to compensate. Aftermarket wheels don't.

They are very thin, but will prevent the wheel from seating properly and will put all the load on the studs, not the hub as deigned.

Sent from my CLT-L29 using Tapatalk

Spot on as this was issue!!! I did not remove the clips. In short - each front rotor had 6 clips on 6 wheel studs leaving 2 studs without clips on each side.. Who wants to guess which studs snapped/broke? The studs without the clips. Hard lesson learned - but at least safely learned. Also glad I didn't take it to a Dealer, as it was in-fact, my error that caused the issue. So, snapped studs already driven out, all clips have been removed from all rotors and just waiting on lug nuts to arrive today. Back in business shortly. Anyone reading this.. REMOVE the TERRORIST CLIP from the wheel studs before adding aftermarket wheels.

sbarron · Jan 18, 2019

nice catch guys...

Anyone else here old enough to remember when mopar had left handed threads on the drivers side? Those have bitten more than one tire shop I'm sure.

Grand Mesa · Jan 18, 2019

Good catch on the clips.

https://blog.tirerack.com/blog/big-daddy-daves-garage/pull-those-stud-clips

turkeybird56 · Nov 19, 2021

sbarron said:
nice catch guys...

Anyone else here old enough to remember when mopar had left handed threads on the drivers side? Those have bitten more than one tire shop I'm sure.

Yup mid to late 60's, a lot on the then popular Barracuda's

Moose2 · Nov 19, 2021

sbarron said:
nice catch guys...

Anyone else here old enough to remember when mopar had left handed threads on the drivers side? Those have bitten more than one tire shop I'm sure.

Yes! I remember the left handed threads but thought they We’re on dusters , or at least that was my recollection from teen years.

Mister Luck · Nov 19, 2021

I’ve bought cheap steel Chinese lug nuts but found the threads have not been cleaned and I’ve had to clean them up with a thread chaser (which is less aggressive than a thread cutter)
Supplier’s to aftermarket are saturated with them and when you can’t install a lug nut on a wheel stud with just your fingers why would you want to use an impact tool or multiplied leverage, that’s not where clamping force is made!

My truck came from the dealership with aftermarket wheels so I’ve never had the opportunity to see the copper washers or clips, good to let others know about them.

GTyankee · Nov 20, 2021

I have watch tire shops run the lug nuts all the way up on a 1/2 truck using an Air Wrench, after using the same torque setting on it that they had just used on a 1 ton truck wheel.
Then they used a hand held torque wrench & had to back off on the torque.
I'm surprised that lug did not just fall off

crazy jerry · Nov 20, 2021

why would you use garbage china lugs. OP let some clueless meathead at a shop put the nuts on and thats why they broke. do it yourself. do it right. youll never have a problem

turkeybird56 · Nov 20, 2021

SEE my post #6. This past Thursday, 18 Nov 21, went to Tire/General repair shop. Had something wrong with LR tire, losing air. SO I told counter guy, who I have known ref service on vehicles (mine and county) for a long time. Told him, LR not holding air. PLS repair and have tire guy Specifically tighten to 130 ft lbs. NOW, I learned a long time ago to watch. So kid comes out, repairs tire, had a small nail. I watch him roll out to truck, hammer on, then he brought torque wrench. So, asked him what was wrench set up. He said specs call for 140, wrong Kemo Sabe. had him set at 130 and put on. U just gotta watch. But I carry a 22M socket and a breaker bar always, and if on a trip, I carry my Torque wrench with me also, LOL. Learned many moons ago, especially when driving M35A2's and hummers on torque, LOL.

Grand Mesa · Nov 21, 2021

Snapped wheel studs

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